View full sizeCleveland Heights High grad Travis Kelce is considered one of the top tight ends in this year's NFL Draft.Al Behrman, Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS -- Cleveland Heights product Travis Kelce arrived at the NFL Scouting Combine prepared to answer lots of questions about a college career that was many things but never uneventful.

For instance, how does a high school quarterback evolve into arguably the best blocker among top-tier, draft-eligible tight ends?

Or what led Kelce to jeopardize his scholarship by being suspended from the University of Cincinnati football team for the entire 2010 season?

And how did he play through the pain of an abdominal tear during his senior season -- one that ended with a last-minute, 83-yard touchdown reception to win a bowl game for the Bearcats?

"Talk about a way to go out," said Kelce of his dramatic score against Duke in the Belk Bowl. "It was unexpected."

Very little went as planned during his time at Cincinnati, but the 23-year-old with a large frame and larger personality said the adversity -- some of it self-inflicted -- prepared him for the rigors of the NFL.

Draft analysts such as ESPN's Todd McShay see Kelce being selected as high as the second round. Should he slip into the third or fourth rounds, his hometown Browns, whose new coach, Rob Chudzinski, and offensive coordinator, Norv Turner, covet tight ends, might be waiting.

But others view Kelce as a gamble, citing a lack of maturity early in his career. In its draft issue, Pro Football Weekly quoted an anonymous scout who called Kelce a "train wreck, character-wise. . . . We wouldn't talk about a guy with his baggage until at least the third [round]."

Kelce said he knows his attitude and actions will be raised in every team interview. His brother, Jason, a Philadelphia Eagles center, can only prep him so much for the questions franchises will ask.

"[I will] just let them know I'm a high-character guy and the stuff that's happened in my past has happened and I've dealt with it," Kelce said. "You live and you learn. No regrets at all. It's about overcoming the difficulties of not being able to play an entire season like I did. [It's] just learning from my mistakes and grow from that."

The Bearcats never released details of Kelce's 2010 suspension. He said the NFL knows the story, but he wasn't sharing it during his media session Friday at Lucas Oil Stadium.

"With guys like that, you do a lot of digging," McShay said Friday. "You talk to everybody: coaches, trainers, ball boys, the cafeteria lady. You just want to know what you are getting into.

"It helps that his brother is in the league and he's had success. There's somebody to draw upon, someone to push him and motivate him. He's done and said all the right things. It was a wake-up call. I know he's come a long way as a football player."

The 6-foot-5, 249-pound tight end won't work out for scouts this weekend as he recovers from the abdominal tear he originally suffered early last season. Kelce's not sure if he will perform at Cincinnati's pro day next month. He hopes his willingness to play through the injury gains him points with organizations that value toughness.

Nobody doubts Kelce has a future in the game. The same might not have been said of him a few years ago, however.

Jason Kelce, who also played at Cincinnati, said his brother was a fantastic three-sport athlete at Cleveland Heights who reached the college level without facing many obstacles. Upon joining the Bearcats' program, Travis Kelce was moved to tight end and rarely saw the field during his first few years.

"Travis has been a naturally gifted athlete his entire life," said Jason, who was selected by the Eagles in the sixth round of the 2011 NFL Draft. "When he got to college, he ran into adversity and saw how hard guys have to work to earn playing time."

Jason Kelce grew frustrated when he heard his younger brother making excuses, but he didn't abandon him as then-coach Butch Jones levied the suspension. Jason asked his brother to move into his off-campus apartment, where he could mentor and monitor.

Travis Kelce said his family and coaches stuck with him, and gradually, his approach and outlook changed. He embraced his new position. He won top offensive scout-team honors during the season in which he was banned from games.

"It was a matter of accountability," Kelce said. "It was knowing that all the guys I came in with were on the field and succeeding. . . . I knew I had to get on my horse and get going."

Kelce caught 13 passes for 150 yards during his junior season before making a dramatic jump last year. He finished the 2012 season with 45 receptions for 722 yards and eight touchdowns.

"He's explosive and he can get down the field," McShay said. "Of the top five or six tight ends, he's probably the best blocker."

Kelce began to demonstrate leadership last season, using his travails as a cautionary tale to impressionable teammates.

"You could tell he was a changed man," said Bearcats receiver Shaq Washington, a Maple Heights product. "He would tell me, 'You don't want to go down the path I went down.' You see someone who's a lot more focused."

Position changed and attitude adjusted, Kelce believes he's the top tight end in a deep draft field. Some might question that claim, and he understands this weekend is all about providing answers.

Follow Us

cleveland.com is powered by Plain Dealer Publishing Co. and Northeast Ohio Media Group. All rights reserved (About Us).The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Northeast Ohio Media Group LLC.